Wal-Mart Joins Same-Day Delivery Battle

by Christopher Freeburn | December 28, 2012 10:55 am

[1]The nation’s largest retail chain is experimenting with same-day deliveries[2] for its online sales.

Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT[3]) is rolling out such an option in five markets across the country for the holidays. Customers who want the items they purchase at Wal-Mart’s online store delivered the same day will pay an additional $10, The New York Times notes.

Online shoppers can then expect their products delivered during a four-hour window. The retailer is also offering next-day delivery for the same price.

A number of companies are testing same-day shipping options[4], including eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY[5]), though the cost and logistics problems remain daunting. Analysts said that the driving motivation to offer same-day shipping was a need to compete with Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN[6]).

While Wal-Mart’s online sales are tiny compared to Amazon’s, the company noted that same-day delivery boosted customer convenience. The U.S. Postal Service also tested a limited same-day delivery option for certain retailers this holiday season[7].